VI Session 17, Fjellraizad
Ghosts. Korobokuru ghosts too. Finellen is devastated. What was a thriving countryside is now a poisonous swamp filled with the ghosts of her people. Perhaps her sons survived, since they lived closer to the base of the mountain. There is a refuge near the gyser where her people had a stronghold called Fjellraizad, the Hollow in the Roots. If there are any surviving dwarves, they would have traveled there. The party take a long rest and in the morning, deck themselves out with equipment for a prolonged venture into the swamp. They teleport a bit further away from the storm and find an abandoned granary nearby. The party disassemble the old building and craft a large raft. They tie the chuuls to it to pull them through the swamp and hunker down to stay as dry as possible. Staying dry proves nearly impossible and they eventually succumb to the dark, poisonous rain. They speed through the swamp as quickly as they can while Finellen steers them away from places that were previously occupied. They eventually make it to the gates of Fjellraizad. Towering stone obelisks flank a great archway and cavern entrance, one of the last great dwarven monuments in Danasia. The flood waters have nearly risen to the cavern entrance allowing the party to step off of their raft directly into the cavern. Upon doing so, they are met, not with the warm greeting of dwarves, but the smell of death. A dented dwarven helmet is all that lay in the entryway. Further into the cavern was a large doorway. Voices beyond the door are not dwarven, but giant. Suddenly the door flies open and three monstrous trolls stomp over the party, lead by a Surai Half Orc. Half Orc "Hauri!? I don't expect you to know me, but I know you. I am Groki of the Surai. You've come at a perfect time. I was abou to make these dwarves a proper meal... as there is nothing else to eat, and my friends grow hungry. Oh that's right, you know nothing of our new alliances. Master Kokai is leading the clan back to the old ways... all we've had to do was... trim the fat..." Groki wastes no time, commanding the trolls to rip and tear into the party. Fortunately for them, the party has more than enough fire to dispatch the hulking brutes, and show no mercy to the Surai. Hauri kneels over the broken corpse, the first of his kin he has seen in nearly ten years. Upon his person, he finds a strange box with several colored inks in it. Kimchiwei identifies it as Marvelous Pigments, a magical item that makes anything you can paint real. Kimchiwei says that such pigments are simple to produce, and are usually used by arcanists to produce high quality, rare reagents for spells or potions. On the lid is the symbol of the Violet Queen and inside is a name scratched into the wood. "Kokai" Finellen rushes past the party and into a room where a great fire is burning and a pot of water boils madly. In the corner are several struggling korobokuru, tied and gagged. She releases them and with a sob, looks through tear filled eyes into the face of her youngest son. Oridmar's eyes immediately burst into tears as the young dwarf embraces his mother. The other survivors crowd around the newcomers. One introduces himself as Bor Mudmantle, a shaman and caretaker of the local shrines. He is accompanied by several animals including a baby goat he calls Bumbi. The three other survivors are two elderly women and one infant. Bor and Oridmar have been caring for them since yesterday when the other survivors, including Oridmar's brother left to go find help. Finellen's heart jumps at the thought of seeing her other son and she and the party ready themselves for a confrontation with the titan ghost Pacha Kamaq. Oridmar, concerned about his brother asks to tag along, Finellen tasks Jin with teaching her son the skills of survival. Bor offers his services as well, stating that he has little in the way of magic, but can turn invisible at will and speak with animals, baby animals specifically, not full grown ones. The party make their preparations to go further into the temple. Bor states that there is an exit in the abandoned section which leads to Gujia Feng otherwise known as Skeleton Peak. The party choose to try the lower exit at the base of the mountain, but are met with heavy resistance from both trolls and half-orcs. They prove to be a match for the party and that forces the heros back into the temple. They choose to try their chances with the abandoned temple ruins. EXP and Journal